This Winding Path We're On
by DreaminDaze
Summary: Charlotte and Cooper. Before their relationship can get off the ground, they find themselves facing an unplanned pregnancy. Will they find their happily ever after? Angst, friendship, family, hurt, comfort, humor. On temporary hiatus.
1. Uncertainty

**Hey everyone! This is the first Private Practice story I've ever uploaded. _Constructive _criticism is welcomed and reviews are love. (:  
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**Summary: Before Charlotte and Cooper's relationship can take off, they find themselves thrown into an unplanned pregnancy. Will they find their way to the happily ever after they both want? Full of friendship, family, hurt, comfort, hopefully humor, and just a little bit of angst. **

**Disclaimer: I've checked left and right, but I don't seem to own any trace of them. Anyways, the writers seem to be doing a pretty good job with them...  
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**Chapter 1: Uncertainty**

_Oh shit. No way. No way. Uh-uh. No freaking way. Please God, no. Fuck, this isn't possible. Is it? _ Charlotte King sighed heavily at her desk. Since accepting a job at Oceanside Wellness, life had gotten inexplicably more complicated. And now, well now she had a feeling _complicated_ wouldn't even begin to describe the mess she's in.

_You could be overreacting; after all you don't know anything yet._ She told herself logically, trying to calm her racing heart and quiet that voice inside her that said something was definitely different. Feeling a wave of nausea rise from the bottom of her stomach, Charlotte stumbled from her desk chair and leaned over the garbage can. Immediately, her breakfast was swimming before her and she was breaking out into a cold sweat.

Charlotte collapsed against the wall, sitting next to her garbage can and sweeping her bangs out of her clammy forehead. Just then, there was a sharp knock at the door, and she was forced to look up from her position on the floor, wearing an irritated glare.

"What?" She called, not bothering to get up for fear of upsetting her stomach again. She craned her neck to see who was bothering her, today of all days.

"Why… are you on the floor?" Her intruder asked, before stepping around her desk to gaze down at her kindly.

Shit. It was Cooper. The last person she wanted to see at the moment, when everything was just so unsure.

"Because I just love the view from down here, that's why." Charlotte spat sarcastically. Immediately afterward, she felt bad. Cooper meant well, she knew it. He just had such bad timing.

Cooper was shocked into silence. It was 9 am on a Tuesday morning for God sakes, and there she was, almost in tears on her office floor. Doctor instinct kicking in, Cooper dropped to a crouch next to Charlotte. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked in concern.

"Just peachy." Charlotte replied without missing a beat. She pressed her fingertips to her mouth, trying to suppress the waves of nausea that just wouldn't seem to abate. "Coop…" She expelled his name in a pained whisper. "If there's nothing you want, could you just go away please?"

Cooper stood up and leaned on her desk, "Actually I wanted to talk about… what happened last week."

Charlotte groaned, pulling herself up from the floor to meet his gaze. It just didn't seem fair if he was on higher ground. Fixing him with the fiercest glare she could muster in the current situation, she said, "Do I look like Violet to you? If you wanna talk about your damn feelings, go some place else."

She made a move to escape her office, go to the hospital and check on patients, go to the washroom, go to the coffee shop… anywhere she could avoid his questions, but before she could bolt, Cooper caught hold of her wrist. "We had sex-" He began.

"Stupid, drunk sex that is _never_ going to happen again, now let go of me." Charlotte whispered, glancing around the office surreptitiously. She yanked her arm out of his grasp, but immediately regretted the sudden movement as dizziness and nausea overtook her once again. She swayed slightly, closing her eyes, and giving cooper time to take hold of her shoulders and look at her with added concern.

"I may be a pediatrician." He began again, "But I am a doctor, and I know you're not fine so… out with it Charlotte King."

"It's nothing." Charlotte maintained, looking at the floor, the window, the ceiling, anywhere but him.

"Nothing?" He asked, with a raise of an eyebrow. "Cause you seem to be tripping around the office over a whole lot of _nothing._"

"Just leave it alone." She pleaded. "I probably have a stomach bug or something."

"Try again, Char. You were absolutely fine when I saw you yesterday." Cooper responded immediately. Normally, he might have let her get away with the brush off. Just let her say she was fine, had some stomach bug, and go on with his life. But… but they'd had sex Goddamnit. And now, now he couldn't get her out of his mind, and he had to know.

When Charlotte continued to stare at the ground, chewing slightly on her bottom lip and refusing to say a word, Cooper figured some humor might help the situation. "What are you, pregnant or something?" He asked with a chuckle, waving his arms with mock exasperation.

She remained silent. And cooper had his answer, "Holy shit, you're pregnant?"

* * *

After making sure the woman's washroom was empty, Cooper and Charlotte locked themselves inside, armed with a pregnancy test.

"If one of your swimmers got up there and got me pregnant, Cooper, I swear to the Lord that I will…" She waved the pregnancy test threateningly and Cooper dodged the stick before sliding his arms around her waist and holding her in place.

"Results first…threats later, okay?" He asked, using the same voice he used when speaking to his underage patients. Charlotte scowled, but couldn't help but nod, feeling his words calm her nervous rambling.

"About the sex, Coop." She said, pulling out of his arms and backing up a few steps. "I'm sorry, that absolutely should not have happened. We work together, and well… Sorry, okay?"

_Damn it._ Cooper thought, looking to the side to avoid her gaze. If he could have told her now, he would tell her that what she said broke his heart. Shattered it into little pieces that he couldn't find. If he was the kind that took risks, he would say that since that night, well all he wanted was to be around her.

Instead, he said, "I'm not." And he took a step closer toward her.

"You're not what?" Charlotte asked, feeling all of a sudden cornered, as her back met the cold plastic wall of a washroom stall. She tilted her chin upward, meeting his gaze defiantly.

"I'm not sorry." He whispered, leaning forward so that their lips were less than an inch apart. "You can't tell me, that this hasn't been all you can think about for the past week."

_Oh God._ She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to him to lean in a little bit more so that their lips would touch and she could get lost in their soft, firm, tender pressure. This was wrong. They worked together, and after one drunken night that started off embarrassing, with the two of them realizing who they'd arranged to meet on the internet, and ended off with nothing less than spectacular, the lines between them were forever blurred. She had to say something, anything, or else he would kiss her and the professional front she'd been putting on would be blown to smithereens.

"Coop…" She muttered, "I-We, can't… so stop, please."

Disappointed, Cooper backed off, but he couldn't help adding, "Just so you know, if you are… pregnant. I want to be there, every step of the way, I'll even move in like I did with Violet. I would take care of you and the baby and do my best to make sure nothing bad happens to you two."

Despite her best efforts, his words took her breath away. God, she'd never met someone so caring, so sensitive, so… kind. After a one night stand, he was ready to promise his life away to her, and she knew it wouldn't just be out of obligation.

Charlotte looked down at the pregnancy test, "It's negative." She said quietly.

Cooper broke their gaze in disappointment. _Damn it._ He thought furiously. This, this almost baby, well this was probably his only chance of being around her anymore. The one chance to prove to her he wanted more than the occasional booty call. Now, she'd just go right on pretending he didn't exist. Ignoring him, or else snapping at him whenever he got too close, exactly like it'd been the past week.

Unable to bear the tension in the room any longer, Cooper backed away to the door. Charlotte's heart ached for him when she saw shutters close over his eyes, eyes which a second ago had been wide open with excitement and emotion.

"I guess that's that." Cooper said with a touch of finality, pursing his lips together in a straight line. He opened the door.

"Yeah." Charlotte replied, turning around so the tears in her eyes wouldn't be too apparent. She didn't say more, for fear the tell tale waver in her voice would give away her tears. Charlotte King didn't cry, damn it.

"You should, uh, get something for that stomach bug." Cooper suggested sadly, before shutting the door behind him.

The moment he closed the door, Charlotte walked up to it and bolted it shut again. Leaning heavily on the sink, she sighed. Once again, she picked up the pregnancy test, almost wincing when she saw the blue plus sign. With one hand on the baby growing inside her, her back met the cold stone wall, and before she knew it, Charlotte was sliding down toward the floor, dissolving into tears for the first time in years.

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**What a sticky situation they've gotten themselves in. (: Please let me know if this is worth continuing. You see the review button... you know you want to click it. Even a few words are appreciated, thanks for reading!  
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	2. All Because Of You

**Thanks guys for your reviews. :)**

**So, I know there was a bit of confusion over when this was set. Just to be clear: Everything is mostly the same as it is at the end of season 3. I don't remember who is still mad at who at that point (I know Addison/Naomi had a long running fight), but in this story, everyone is on good terms. I've basically just taken Charlotte and Cooper, and am exploring a different start to their relationship. Don't worry, I'm hoping the angst will only last the first few chapters, after all, I adore this couple and want everything to work out for them. The people who work in OCW are Charlotte, Cooper, Addison, Sam, Naomi and Violet. **

**I don't know if I mentioned but last chapter's title was by The Fray, and this chapter's is by U2. Happy reading.

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**Chapter 2: All Because Of You**

When Charlotte got home to her apartment that night, she tossed her keys on the table, not knowing, nor caring whether or not they landed in the right place. A margarita, that's what she needed after a day like today. That, and maybe a good book. As she made her way toward the liquor cabinet, Charlotte was frozen in her tracks. With a rueful chuckle, she realized that alcohol was out of the question for tonight, and the next nine months. Perks of being pregnant, she thought, as she reached for an apple juice instead.

Pregnant. Charlotte groaned. She was pregnant. Of all the stupid things she'd done, which, being a King, weren't that many, this greatly surpassed everything else. She was a doctor, so was Cooper for God sakes, how had they gotten pregnant? And more importantly what were they going to do now? For a moment, Charlotte considered terminating the pregnancy, but she dismissed the thought almost as soon as it occurred. Like it or not, God had given her this baby, and abortion was… out of the question she knew.

Not for the first time, Charlotte wondered why she hadn't told Cooper the truth. He was in the washroom with her, was busy promising to be there for her, and yet she'd lied to him. Why? Why couldn't she just… let him be nice? Charlotte cursed, running a hand through her shoulder length blond hair. She knew why. If she was doing this alone, well it would be hard, but she could handle it.

But with Cooper, Cooper was wearing that proud father grin already, as if eagerly picturing the three of them as a cozy little family. And that scared her. The idea of her and Cooper.

_He said those things when he thought there was a baby. Don't mean squat._ She reminded herself. Except… he'd meant them, wholeheartedly. That was the thing about Cooper, Charlotte realized. He was just kind and sweet and naïve, everything that she wasn't. And the way he looked at her sometimes, even the short time she'd been working with him, God… it made her shiver a little.

Charlotte's eyes widened suddenly. Was she? No, it wasn't possible, was it? Being pregnant was enough to deal with, but this. This was a whole new level of shock and unpreparedness. Was she possibly, falling for Cooper Freedman?

No.

Please no.

She collapsed on the couch, unable to deny even to herself any longer that her feelings for her coworker ran deeper than they should. The professional front she wanted to maintain, even after their indiscretions, was going to be much harder to keep up. A string of obscenities flowed from her mouth before she fell asleep. Damn men.

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"And then I just left… walked right on out… told her some crap about getting something for her stomach bug." Cooper slurred, the alcohol in his hand tipping slightly.

His trusted friend and confidante, Violet Turner, pried the glass out of his hand before he could ruin yet another one of her carpets. When Cooper had shown up that night, his blood alcohol already nearing the legal limit, his car parked crookedly on her driveway, Violet had known she was in for a night of his ranting. After handing him a glass of wine, she'd listened in shock to his sob story.

"Tell me again exactly how this happened?" She requested.

"How… what?" Cooper asked, his addled brain struggling to make sense of her question.

"You." She said loudly, ducking her head to meet his eyes. "And… Charlotte King."

"We… had sex." Cooper said simply. "And it was… like amazing, you know? Charlotte's a-mazing."

"Yeah, I-I gathered that much from your rambling. Was it the internet? Oh, God, Cooper. That's not healthy, we've talked about this. You should be meeting normal girls, in coffee shops…" She trailed off hopelessly, it's not like this conversation was anything new.

"Don't-shrink-me." Cooper demanded, his words punctuated by annoyed points of his finger.

"Okay, okay." Violet agreed, backing away defensively. "I'm just saying, if you're going to come to my house, drink all my wine, and probably throw up all over my carpet tomorrow morning, you owe me a decent explanation."

"Yeah, well, I don't got one."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Cooper spoke up again, this time sounding a bit more on the sober side, although not quite.

"Thought she might be pregnant… but…" He turned around to see Violet's shocked expression. "…she's not…"

Still recovering from the shock of the news delivered so crassly to her, Violet stumbled a bit, "W-well, that's good right? I mean, it was a one night stand, neither of you are ready for children. It's better this way, Coop."

To her surprise, Cooper didn't look relieved at all, "What if I wanted kids, huh? Did you ever think of that?" He asked slowly, staring into her fireplace.

"Well, one day you'll have them. With a nice, normal girl, who's not Charlotte King." She chuckled a bit, getting up from the floor and making her way toward the bedroom. Before leaving, she patted him on the head, "Just go to sleep, Coop. You can crash here."

Before she could walk away, Cooper took a hold of her ankle, and looked up at her. "What if I want Charlotte King too?" He asked.

With a sigh, Violet dropped back down next to him. "Do you?"

Cooper threw his hands up in exasperation. "I dunno! I mean, she's-she's mean, and she's… just… not nice. And… I can't… can't stop - thinking about her."

In that moment, Violet was convinced. Cooper had it bad, for Charlotte. Repressing the disturbing images in her mind, she put a hand on her friend's shoulder and handed him the wine. "You need it more than I do." She said with a chuckle.

"Thanks." Cooper said, taking a gulp of the drink and all of a sudden feeling braver. "I think I love her, or you know, something like that."

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The next morning, the elevator doors to Oceanside Wellness opened to reveal Cooper, wearing dark sunglasses to disguise the shadows under his eyes. When he saw Charlotte standing in the kitchen, twin shots of pain and anger pierced his veins. He didn't want to see her, not now when he's just realized he's in love with her. Gritting his teeth, he stalked into the kitchen for his coffee.

"So is this how it's gonna be now?" Charlotte asked, not meeting his eyes and continuing to watch the swirls in her decaf.

Cooper ignored her, yanking open the fridge with more force than necessary and slamming a carton of cream for his coffee onto the counter. A few creamy white drops spilled out and he cursed.

"Don't be a child, Coop." Charlotte chastised. She'd come in this morning with the intention to talk to him. Maybe not tell him the truth about the baby, but at least try and find out if he felt the same way about her. If his love and concern went past the baby he'd thought there was, if it extended to her, then, well then they'd have something to talk about.

"Oh, I'm the child?" Cooper snapped. "That's rich Charlotte."

"What the hell is your problem?" She angrily shot back. They were really getting no where with the talking thing.

"What the hell is yours? I mean, you won't talk to me. You can barely look at me. The only time you've acted remotely _human_ since we slept together, is when we thought you might be pregnant." Cooper ended his tirade with a sweep of his arms, almost knocking over the basket of fruit on the table.

"Oh, so I'm the problem here?" Charlotte asked incredulously. "I don't know if you've looked in the mirror lately, but ain't that a case of the pot callin' the kettle black?"

"Just… Go. To. Hell." Cooper intoned, reaching down to empty the candy supply and slamming the door on his way out of the kitchen. Charlotte sighed, pressing her fingers to her temple and wishing for some real coffee.

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"So, what's up with Cooper and the Ice Queen?" Addison asked, leaning against the front desk to give the new receptionist, Dell's replacement, her patient's file. She looked sideways at Violet, who was pointedly avoiding her inquisitive gaze. "Violet? Hello?"

"Yeah Addison?" Violet asked, not looking up from the file she was studying. Cooper hadn't expressly asked Violet not to tell anyone. Then again, he'd been too out of it most of the night to ask anything. Still, Violet felt compelled to keep this a secret, seeing as he hadn't shared with anyone else yet.

"Cooper. The Ice Queen." Addison repeated impatiently. "She's in the kitchen, looking pissed as hell. And he's in his office, inhaling our candy supply."

Violet responded only to one part of Addison's rant. "Ice Queen? You're the one who hired her."

Addison rolled her eyes, "Yeah, cause she's good for the practice. Now why is she making Cooper miserable?" When Violet remained silent, Addison continued, "Hey. Turner. You know something."

"I… might know something." Violet confirmed sheepishly. _Damn it._ Why did Cooper have to tell her the secret? They were best friends, yeah, but it was pretty damn hard trying to keep this from everyone else. It was only the morning after, and the questions were already starting.

"Then out with it." Addison demanded. "In the interest of the practice's environment?" She prompted.

Violet sighed and turned to her colleague, well, technically Addison was the boss. Immediately, Addison recognized the look in her eyes. Part desperation, part desire to keep the secret. All in all, Violet had the look of someone who was about to tell something she shouldn't. Addison smirked, and waited.

"Cooper and Charlotte slept together." She blurted, squeezing her eyes shut as though waiting for the ceiling to collapse on top of her. "And don't ask me anything else, because I don't know anything else."

Addison tilted her head sideways, "You don't know anything else?"

"Just that they're completely in love with each other and Charlotte thought she was pregnant." Violet continued urgently. Speaking faster and faster. "I have to go." Violet said, backing away so as to not reveal anything else. Although, there really wasn't anything left. Unless Cooper waking up on her floor with a hangover and back pains counted.

Addison stared after Violet, at a loss for what to say or think. Without thinking twice, she turned around and walked straight into Naomi's office. Shutting the door behind her and leaning on it to prevent anyone else from coming in.

"Charlotte and Cooper." The first words out of Addison mouth, which in her mind, made everything perfectly clear.

Naomi looked on questioningly, "Charlotte and Cooper… are fighting over the exam rooms again?" She guessed.

Addison walked up to the desk, collapsing in the chair that patients usually sit in. "No, Charlotte and Cooper… have a thing, or something."

"Addison…" Naomi said calmly, "Be more specific. What do you mean a thing?"

"Like a sex thing. Or maybe a love thing, well I think Violet thinks so anyway." Addison said distractedly, running a hand through her hair. She looked at Naomi with a confused expression. "Anyways, Cooper ate all the candy, and Charlotte's yelling at anything that moves."

Naomi leaned back in her chair, only now appreciating the seriousness of the situation. "What? Wait-all, as in _all_ of the candy?" She looked aghast.

"Every last piece." Addison confirmed with a nod.

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" Naomi asked with a devious smile.

"No, you know, what we should do. Is get the two of them in a room together-" Addison began.

"-And make them work out their problems." Naomi finished with flourish.

Addison nodded enthusiastically, and the two best friends starting planning how exactly, they were going to bring about operation Make Cooper And Charlotte Talk To Each Other.

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**I thought it was a given that the rest of them would help get Charlotte and Cooper together. The 'big incestuous family' and all. If you have a second, please drop me a little review. It really motivates to keep this going. :) **


	3. Fix The World Up For You

**(: Thanks to all my reviewers, I feel bad that I don't have time to respond to all of you... here's the next chapter. This is sort of an inbetween chapter. Nothing really happens, just set up for the next chapter. But I hope you enjoy it anyways. **

**OMG, I realized in the last chapter, I TOTALLY forgot to mention that PETE, Pete also works there. God, there's so many of them it's hard to keep track of sometimes. Chapter title is by James Morrison. **

**Disclaimer: sometimes I forget to mention how much I _don't_ own anything to do with these characters. I suppose I don't like facing the sad truths of life. ):

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**Chapter 3: Fix The World Up For You**

"Cooper?" Naomi called, poking her head into his office. She and Addison had a plan, and having waited until right after lunch, when there was a lull in the coming and going of patients. They were finally going to have a chance to put it in motion. Violet had refused to take part, but Naomi was grateful for Pete's support, who at that moment, stood defiantly behind her.

Cooper was sitting as his desk, having canceled all of his patients for the day, staring out the window and obviously brooding. Damn it, he hadn't meant to get into a fight with Charlotte that morning. But seeing her, it made the force of his true feelings for her slam into him, and he hadn't been able to stop himself from lashing out. He realized he should apologize for acting that way. That it wasn't her fault he was in love with her, nor was it her fault she didn't feel the same way. Just as he was about to summon up the strength to knock on her door, Naomi and Pete beat him to the punch, effectively blocking his way out.

"What?" He asked in exasperation. Letting his head fall back onto the headrest.

"There's a patient in exam room 4…" Naomi began, but Cooper cut her off before she could tell the elaborate lie they had drummed up together.

"I'm not seeing patients today, I'm doing paperwork." He said sharply, lifting the blank sheet of lined paper he'd been staring at most of the day. "Or has everyone forgotten that?" He asked, looking accusatorily at Pete.

"Hey man," Pete said, raising his hands in defense. "I'm just listening to mean ex-boss lady."

"Well, it - it's true." Naomi stammered, turning around to glare at Pete. That was definitely not part of the plan. "We could use his help."

"Well, _he_ is busy…" Cooper snapped.

"More like irritable." Pete countered. Naomi flashed him a smile. This was part of the plan, for Pete to antagonize Cooper when the obvious refusal came.

"Please, Coop?" Naomi stepped in do to her part, the caring, sensitive, mother hen. "It's a kid…" She played her trump card. No way would he say no now. He was a pediatrician. He had a soft spot for the little ones who needed his help.

Cooper sighed. Knowing he'd been roped into doing a consult on a day he'd decided to forego patients was annoying, but not completely unpredictable. One patient, he told himself. One patient, and then you'll go home. Forget Charlotte. "Okay." He agreed, only slightly reluctant this time.

"Great." Naomi beamed.

Together, she and Pete swept Cooper out of his office, steering him toward exam room 4. Addison had graciously decided to give up her room for their plan that afternoon. She pushed open the door, holding her breath. If Sam and Addison had already gotten Charlotte in there, the carnage would begin. If she and Pete had been faster, their job would be the easier one.

Pete breathed a sigh of relief when the door opened to an empty room. He handed Cooper a folder, explaining that they'd go get the patient from the waiting room. Cooper nodded, tossed the folder aside and perched on the rolling chair he loved so much. Naomi and Pete left the room with high spirits.

* * *

Charlotte stood up, threw her purse over her shoulder and prepared to leave the office for the day. She'd seen all her patients, done all scheduled procedures, dotted the i's and crossed the t's. It was definitely time to go home. That was one of the advantages of working at Oceanside Wellness, flexible hours. She'd have to stay late tomorrow to make up for taking off early, but hopefully tomorrow she wouldn't be so nauseous… and so hung up a certain pediatrician with the office down the hall.

As Charlotte walked across the practice's waiting room, she wondered whether Cooper was still locked in his office. For a moment, she was tempted to check, but she banished that thought almost as soon as it occurred. _It's none of your damn business what he's doing._ She told herself. He could be on a ledge, prepared to jump, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. They were only colleagues, she reminded herself bitterly. Any chance at anything else had been completely obliterated by the paralyzing fear she felt every time the thought of a long term relationship with Cooper Freedman crossed her mind.

She stepped in the elevator, willing the doors to slide shut faster so that she could lean tiredly against the back of the elevator and massage her temple. Almost there… just a couple of seconds left now…

Before the doors could slide shut completely, a manicured hand, fingernails painted pink ,slid in and stopped its progress. Charlotte cursed as Addison Montgomery, followed somewhat sheepishly by Sam entered the elevator.

"Charlotte." Addison nodded in her direction.

"Addison." Charlotte nodded back, prodding on the ground floor button almost angrily.

"Dr. King." Sam added, merely to acknowledge her presence.

Charlotte raised her eyebrows. "Dr. Bennett." She replied.

Sam and Addison exchanged a look. It was now or never. Silently, through the use of murderous glares only, the two doctors had a fight over who would initiate the conversation. Sam won. Addison rolled her eyes and pressed the elevator's emergency stop button. Her and elevators… there must be some prior affinity between them or something.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Charlotte demanded angrily, as the elevator ground to halt and the pleasant whirring immediately stopped.

Addison cleared her throat. "There's a patient we want you to see, exam room 4 … before you leave today." She requested politely.

Charlotte's response was not at all unexpected. She snorted derisively, then said, "I'm not in the mood Montgomery." She tried to reach around Addison, but to Charlotte's surprise, the other woman was standing her ground.

"This patient… " She began, looking for a reason that would make Charlotte stay. She chewed on her bottom lip, tapping her foot and thinking hard. She looked to Sam for help.

"What Addison's trying to say is, uh, we could really use your expertise Charlotte." Sam finished with a grin that turned most women into simpering puddles of goo. Not that it had ever worked on the Ice Queen herself, but hey, maybe he'd get lucky.

He didn't.

Charlotte leveled on him with a glare and Addison couldn't help but smirk. Turnabout's a fair play. "I don't care." She said, clearly annoyed, "I got a life, you know? Now move." She demanded of Addison.

Addison sighed. This is why they'd given her this job. Putting on the best authoritative mask she had, she said sternly. "Okay, Dr. King. Here, at Oceanside Wellness, I'm the boss. And I don't care if you were chief of staff at St. Ambrose. I want you to see this patient, and you - are going to see the patient. That is if you want to keep working here."

Charlotte was aghast. No one had even spoken to her like that before, and even though everything Addison said was completely true, she had trouble processing it in her mind, the mind that - up until now - had always made people obey its every whim. "What did you say to me?" She asked, more to confirm what had just happened, then to hear the words again.

"You heard me." Addison said, standing her ground furiously and hoping Charlotte wouldn't see through the plan. She handed Charlotte an inconspicuous looking file and started the elevator, this time directing them back up to their floor.

Charlotte grabbed the file out her hand, fuming. When the elevator opened back to Oceanside Wellness she stalked out without a backward glance. "Exam room 4, you said?" She called behind her.

Addison and Sam hurried to catch up with her, knowing they'd need to corner her in as soon she saw who was really in the exam room. No doubt, Naomi and Pete would have been faster than them. Cooper was just an easier target.

* * *

Charlotte threw open the door to the exam room in question, the file handed to her still clenched in her fist. She didn't even both to compose herself before seeing her patient, just wanting to get this over with. "I'm Dr. King." She began, but her voice faltered when she was who was really in the room.

Cooper.

_Shit._

"Sorry." She muttered shortly, "wrong room." She turned around, prepared to go back into the hallway and demand an explanation from Addison and Sam, but she found her way blocked.

Charlotte and Cooper stared incredulously as Addison, Sam, Naomi, Pete, and even Violet filed into the small room, effectively shielding the door from both view and access. Stunned, Charlotte backed up a bit, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Expecting absolutely no help from the others, Addison began, "So. Charlotte. Cooper. We've noticed some problems between you two today…" She trailed off, noting the muscles in Cooper's jaw twitching, and Charlotte's irritated eye roll. "And we wanted to help you out." She finished with a bright smile, clapping her hands together eagerly.

"I'm out of here." Cooper said, dodging Charlotte to try and reach the door, only to find his progress impeded by both Pete and Sam.

"Neither of you are leaving." Naomi said, as she and Addison resisted Charlotte's similar attempts at escape. "You're going to stay here, and talk, until such a point where you can stop trying to kill each other with your eyes."

"Agreed." Addison said. "I know you guys have had some… recent, indiscretions…" She trailed off awkwardly, and Cooper rounded on Violet, who had so far remained silent.

"You told them?" He demanded angrily.

Violet shrugged helplessly, "You were both miserable." She explained. "I'm not God. I didn't know what to do." _And Addison's a damn good interrogator, _she added in her mind.

Cooper rolled his eyes, "Well, whatever you guys are trying to set up here…"

"…It's not going to happen." Charlotte finished for him.

Addison exhaled sharply. "Okay, we were being nice. That is _exactly_ what is going to happen. Neither of you are leaving this room, or else you'll have to fight with me."

Charlotte and Cooper considered their options, stealing a glance at each other in the process. Addison was tough, but together, they could take her down for sure.

Addison was all of a sudden aware of the silent conversation between them and made a move to stop it. "And them." She added hastily. "You'll have to fight with me and them", gesturing to the rest of their colleagues, who nodded in support.

Charlotte crossed her arms, and Cooper raked a hand through his hair, neither of them saying anything else. Satisfied that the ground rules had been set, Addison ushered everyone out of the room. She shut the door behind them and smiling triumphantly, she said, "And now we wait."

* * *

**Okay, I'm sorry it was such a short chapter. The next one will be longer I promise, and we'll finally get a bit of Charlotte/Cooper fluff. **

**If you have a second, and you feel so inclined, please leave me a little review. It really keeps me going, and, as sappy as it sounds, makes my day all better. For some reason, I'm not immune to the 'OMG, it's a review *giggles maniacally*' thing. Oh well. Until next time :)  
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	4. Suddenly I See

**Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers. And anyone who favortied/alerted this story, but didn't leave me a comment... well, one would be appreciated ;), just saying. Unfortunately, this is one of the stories I'm writing as I go along. Which means you guys have to suffer along with me on my writer's block. Sorry. Here we pick up as soon as our beloved doctors get Char and Coop locked in a room together. Chapter title by Kt Tunstall.  
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**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Private Practice, though I wish I did. I'm open if anyone wants to give them away (who would?)

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**Chapter 4: Suddenly I See**

Cooper glanced over at Charlotte surreptitiously. She was still leaning stony faced on the wall, looking down at the floor, refusing to meet his eyes. Cooper then looked through the blinds to the lobby, where the rest of their colleagues gave him encouraging and determined smiles. Damn it. He knew there was no getting out of this conversation, not if he wanted to go home tonight. But Charlotte, she just looked so…unapproachable. Even though Cooper longed to close the distance between them and take her in his arms, everything about her screamed 'don't touch', and 'shut up'. He buried his head into his hands, biting back the words on the tip of his tongue.

Charlotte, for her part, just wanted to go home. She didn't know what had possessed the rest of Cooper's incestuous family that he called colleagues to stick their noses in her business, but they had, and now she was stuck in a room with the one person she'd gone to great lengths today to avoid. The situation screamed of awkward and Charlotte fought to keep from trying to climb out the window, knowing it wouldn't be safe for the baby.

_The baby._ Charlotte suppressed a groan. This would be the perfect time to tell him. They were alone, she'd probably never get a moment of privacy with him again after he walked out that door, and she'd finally thought things through. She was keeping the baby. She wanted him to be in the baby's life, and she wanted the baby to know him as daddy, not Uncle Coop. But Charlotte knew she couldn't tell him all this, at least not until she knew whether or not he loved her back. No way was she putting herself out there without feeling a bit secure in his feelings as well. If he wanted more with her… if he wanted a relationship and all the things that she realized last night, under the influence of apple juice, that she wanted with him, well then maybe they'd talk about the baby.

With a grimace, Charlotte realized that to get a hold on Cooper's feelings, she'd have to talk to him. She blew out a breath, and broke the silence, "Look Cooper. I don't know what I did to make you act like a pissed off teenager, but… whatever it was, I'm sorry, okay?" She said irritably. God, how she hated to be the one to fold first.

Cooper's head snapped up, and he rubbed the ache in the back of his neck furiously. How the hell did Charlotte manage to insult him and apologize in the same sentence? On one hand, he was a pissed of teenager, and on the other, she was sorry? Cooper suppressed a rueful grin. At least she was trying, which was more than could be said for his sorry ass. _Say something. Damn it, Cooper._ He chastised himself. "I'm sorry too… for yelling at you this morning… and… eating all the candy." He said hesitantly, wondering how well his apology would be received.

Charlotte simply groaned and rubbed her forehead, "What the hell happened to us, Coop? We were friends, sort of, at one point, right?"

Cooper snorted derisively, the anger from this morning returning with a vengeance, "Yeah, two friends who slept together, wherein one friend refuses to talk to the other friend about it, even though the other friend tried." He said helplessly.

Setting her hands on her hips, Charlotte shot back, "It's always about the sex with you, isn't it Cooper?"

Cooper stared back incredulously, "What the hell''s that supposed to mean?" He wanted to talk, just like he had when he walked into her office the day before, but it hadn't been about the sex, it never was. He just wanted to see her again, to make her realize how much he… loves her.

"It means, you just can't leave it alone. You can't accept that we did an inappropriate, incredibly _stupid_ thing and now it isn't going to happen again." Charlotte said defensively. Damn it, this definitely wasn't going well. She'd meant to be nice to him, to get an idea of how he was feeling and hopefully tell him the truth about their child, but the way he talked… it just… pushed her buttons, made her lash out.

And then all other logical thinking was interrupted at Cooper's shouting. "Is that all it was to you, Charlotte? Just a one-time deal, some sort of late night booty call?" He knew they could hear him outside, that all their suspicions were confirmed. He found that he didn't care, he just wanted to grab Charlotte and shake some sense into her. Wanted to make her see what he was trying to say.

Charlotte must have been realizing how indiscreet they were being too, so she lowered her voice, "I just wish we could go back to the way things were… you know, before. Before this whole damn mess."

_No!_ Her mind screamed at her. _You don't want that. You want him, and his baby. Tell him, damn it. What's wrong with you? This could be your only chance. _

She ignored the voice in her head.

"I don't think things can go back." Cooper muttered, the anger bleeding out of him and being replaced by helplessness, "At least, not for me."

Charlotte took a tentative step toward him. "You mean…?" _Was it possible? Was he possibly feeling the same way?_

Cooper took a deep breath, and turned around to find her much closer than she was before. The look on her face was a mixture of curiosity and fear. The Ice Queen mask she liked to wear was dropped and all Cooper could see was the raw emotion underneath. He started to talk, to say everything he'd wanted to before, but chickened out.

"I dunno about you, Charlotte, but there is no way, that I can go back to how we were before. Not now… 'cause now I know what else we could have." Cooper blew out another breath, knowing what he was about to say would change everything, hoping that it would change things in the direction he wanted it to, but not daring to hope too hard. "I can't stop thinking about you Charlotte. And it wasn't… the sex, which was amazing by the way. It's just being with you. Being around you and making you laugh and doing all those things make you crazy… "

He looked up to find Charlotte still standing there, frozen in place. Her mouth half open in surprise, and was that? Yes, it was. Cooper's heart swelled with joy when he noticed the corners of her lips begin to turn up in a smile. Her gentle encouragement gave him the final push to say the rest.

"I don't care that there's no baby. I just want you." He finished simply.

At this, Charlotte felt a pang of guilt at the information she was still keeping from him. She was tempted to spill the beans right then and there, but… she found that she couldn't. If there was one thing Cooper hated, it was being lied to, and she'd lied to him, outright lied. She looked up then, and realized that she hadn't said anything after his breathless admissions yet, and Cooper was looking at her with dread in his eyes.

Hastily Charlotte stumbled over her words, "I've… been thinkin' about you too Coop. And I think maybe we could, you know try the talkin' thing and the, well the everything else that Violet has names for, but for life of me I don't know what they're called…." She trailed off, realizing that she was rambling and glanced at the floor in mild embarrassment.

In a second, Cooper closed the small distance between them with a few steps. "You mean the relationship?" He asked, a full grin now plastered on his face. "Never thought I'd see the day…"

"Don't go all mushy gushy on me Cooper." She teased, but the smile on her face told him that it was just that, teasing.

Cooper stepped closer, "You like me. You _like _like me. You have the hots for me and you think I'm the sweetest thing ever…"

Charlotte rolled her eyes, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks and cursing her pale skin, "What are we, in junior high again?"

They exchanged another glance, both feeling the inexplicable urge to burst into helpless gales of laughter and the all consuming desire to just kiss already. Looking out toward the lobby, Charlotte nodded at Cooper, and they reached the first real agreement they had since agreeing to leave the bar and go to his place a week ago. Charlotte stepped away to draw the blind closed on the left side of the room while Cooper took care of the others.

The moment they were out of everyone's prying sights, their lips met. Charlotte groaned and reached a hand up to cup the back of his hand, bringing him in closer and deepening their kiss. His hand travelled around her waist and down to her hip, while his lips blazed a trail of heat down her long neck. And holy hell, kissing her was all that he'd imagined. Every reconstructed memory from their one night together could not measure up to actually kissing her, and feeling her lithe body pressed up against his.

Unexpectedly, her back hit the exam table and she toppled over, both of them landing in a heap on the small bed.

* * *

"What do you think they're doing in there?" Naomi asked to no one in particular, chewing nervously on her fingernails. She leaned on the receptionist's desk with the rest of the doctors, "Maybe… maybe we should let them out."

Addison grabbed Naomi's wrist, stopping her friend from doing more damage to her fingernails. It was a nervous habit, she knew. "Stay strong, Nai." She said defiantly. "I'm sure they're talking it out like adults. Come on, 50 bucks." She pulled a 50 dollar bill out of her purse, "Who's in?"

Sam chuckled disbelievingly. "Them? Adult talk? No way. They're probably fighting, yelling at each other and throwing around whatever equipment's in there. Thank God it's only cotton balls."

"They're being awfully quiet for a fight." Violet mused.

"Fine. They're having a quiet fight," Sam amended. "I'll go in for 50 bucks on that." He added another 50 to the pile.

Pete reached over and put in his contribution as well. "I'll bet 50 dollars… that they've stopped talking and are doing the nasty now." He said with a grin, noting the blinds being pulled closed.

Addison smacked his arm. "I birth babies on that bed, Pete." She protested with disgust, holding out her arms defensively. "It's a sacred place."

"Yeah, that they're now desecrating." Pete said assuredly, earning another disgusted glare from both Addison and Naomi.

Ever the rationalist, Violet calmed her colleagues, "Let's just wait and see okay?"

Just then, the doorknob turned, and the door creaked open slowly.

* * *

"Coop… God, Cooper…. S-stop." Charlotte managed breathlessly, in between her soft cries of pleasure as Cooper's lips traveled across her collarbone and back up to her lips. Her words contradicted her actions, as she tugged on his clothes, aching for more skin on skin contact.

He started to unbutton her shirt, ignoring her halfhearted protests. All he could feel was her soft skin under his lips, and it was so amazing. God, she felt so amazing. This was all he wanted, to be with her, and have the right to kiss her like this for the rest of his life.

"Cooper. This isn't the place, or the time. They could come in any minute." Charlotte's slightly disappointed voice burst through his bubble of lust as she regretfully pushed his hands away.

He sighed, "You're right." He admitted grudgingly, taking a few steps back. When he saw her chest heaving breathlessly, her hair ruffled and her eyes blazing with unsatisfied want, he almost jumped her again.

"We should probably get back out there," Charlotte said, smoothing down her clothes and buttoning the few buttons that he'd gotten to. "Before they start to wonder what we're up to."

Cooper nodded in agreement, but before he could let her open the door, he reached down and took both her hands in his, resting his forehead on hers and whispered breathlessly, "My place, tonight?"

She nodded, a smile permanently fixed on her face, and hand in hand, they opened the door and walked out into the lobby.

As soon as they walked out together, 5 heads turned curiously toward them and everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the smiles on their faces and their intertwined fingers.

"You guys talked it out like adults right?" Addison asked triumphantly, taking one look at their composed faces and taking her money back from the pile. "I knew it."

Charlotte and Cooper nodded, but then Sam stepped in front of Addison. "There was a fight." He said, examining Charlotte's slightly red eyes, "But, no one's hurt, so… it was a calm, quiet fight, with minimal yelling." He reasoned.

Cooper and Charlotte glanced at each other. "Yeah, I guess there was a fight too." Cooper admitted sheepishly, never letting go of Charlotte's hand. They glanced around slightly awkwardly, not quite knowing how to explain to the rest of them that the office dynamic would definitely be changing, now that they were taking a step together.

"But you guys did it, didn't you?" Pete blurted, waving his hands in exasperation. He looked frantically for a sign of misplaced clothing, or maybe a lipstick mark on Cooper.

To her horror, Charlotte felt a blush creep up her cheeks again, knowing it would be all the confirmation Pete needed, all of them needed, for what had almost happened. Still, she began to protest vehemently, "No! God, this is damn medical practice… we didn't…" She looked to Cooper helplessly…

…and found him wearing a proud grin, wordlessly sharing their indiscretions with Pete. When Cooper saw Charlotte's glare, he backtracked hastily, "well, we didn't… exactly…. But… almost?" He stuttered.

Addison rolled her eyes, looking disgusted as Pete high fived Cooper and took his money back. "Okay! Nothing else to talk about here," She said loudly. "Everyone… just… go home. I'll see you tomorrow morning." She stifled a chuckle as everyone disappeared into their offices and Cooper and Charlotte stepped into the elevator. Another eventful day at Oceanside Wellness.

* * *

That night, Cooper sat across from Charlotte at his dinner table. He'd cooked for her. A beautiful dinner with candles and wine, the whole nine yards. Charlotte smiled, she had no idea Cooper could cook like that, hell, she knew she couldn't.

As she pointedly avoided her glass of wine, she knew there was something they had to talk about, something she needed to be totally honest about so that they could really give them a shot. She sighed, put down her fork and leaned her elbows on the table. The look on her face gave him pause.

"You okay?" He asked, his food halfway to his mouth.

"Yeah." She replied with a smile, "It's just… I've got to tell you something…."

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**Ooh, cliffhanger. I promise Charlotte will definitely spill the beans in the next chapter. Tell ya what, you leave me a review, and I will get right on the next chapter. Deal? Kay. :) **

**Til next time everyone!  
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	5. Walking On Sunshine

**Thanks for all your reviews! So I was gonna post this tomorrow, but I just couldn't wait. :D. I was sort of divided on how to do this chapter. Considering Cooper's reaction when he figured out Charlotte was married... it seemed more realistic to go the angsty route, but I guess you can tell from the chapter title, which is a song by Aly&AJ, that I went with the fluffy choice instead. **

**Disclaimer: I'm getting married in a week, so I own tons of stress and a _very_ unhelpful fiance that I love to bits for some reason. I don't own private practice.

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**Chapter 5: Walking On Sunshine**

Cooper stared back at Charlotte, who had suddenly stopped eating and was looking at him with worry etched into her eyes. He frowned, "Uh, something wrong with the food?" His attempt at humor did nothing to lighten the tension that had just washed over a perfect night.

"No, no" Charlotte said hastily. Although, what she was about to tell him… it was much more serious than food, and she almost wished she could say yes, bring up something trivial and drop this right now.

"Then what?" Cooper asked kindly, putting down his own utensils. He could sense the nervous aura around Charlotte. Something wasn't right. Charlotte was never nervous.

Reaching out, Cooper took both her hands and grasped them tightly in hers, joining the two sides of the table. "Woman, look at me." He commanded, and when she met his gaze tentatively, he continued, "Nothing you could say will make me walk out that door. Absolutely nothing." He gave her what he hoped to be an encouraging smile.

Charlotte sighed. This was it. This was the moment, in a second he would know and after that… well they would just wait and see. He wasn't leaving. He'd promised her that. Charlotte took a deep breath, "What I'm about to tell you…" She trailed off. "Well let's just say it's a good thing you're already sitting down." She finished, knowing she was only building the tension.

"Just say it, whatever it is…" He beckoned, never letting go of her hands. Inside his heart raced. _Oh my God. Was she dying? Was she a serial killer? Was he dying?_ The possibilities, each more ridiculous than the next tumbled through his mind.

"You can't… get mad." She informed him. "And trust me, you're gonna want to me mad. And in advanced, I'm sorry, really sorry."

There was a long pause.

"I'm pregnant." Her words met silence, and when she chanced a glance up at Cooper she found him wearing a shocked, deer-in-the-headlights look.

There was an even longer pause.

Or it seemed that way to Charlotte, who waited with bated breath for his reaction. She braced herself for the inescapable anger that would no doubt consume him at being lied to. To Cooper, it was only a second before his face split into a wide grin. "Pregnant?" He asked disbelievingly. "I-I thought, the pregnancy test… stomach bug…"

Charlotte again met his eyes, not finding the anger she expected, just the slight confusion, and overall happiness. "Yeah, well… turns out I do have a stomach bug, just the 9 month kind." She said with a chuckle.

"Y-you're sure?" Cooper asked.

"Yeah." Charlotte nodded her confirmation, pressing her lips together and giving him a helpless smile.

With a joyous laugh, Cooper wrenched his hands away, leapt out of his chair and was by her side before she could blink. He crouched down next to her, "We're going to have a baby?" He asked again.

"Geez, Coop. You deaf or something?" Charlotte asked happily. "We. Are. Having. A. Baby." She said slowly and deliberately, wanting to watch his eyes light up and twinkle even more at her words.

For a second, fear and worry flashed into his eyes and Charlotte squeezed his hands. "Cooper…" She began, fearing he had just caught onto the fact that she lied to him.

But he had something else entirely different on his mind. "And it's… it's mine, right?" He asked, almost nervously. The fact that there was even a question in the matter made Charlotte roll her eyes.

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't just try and assume I slept with someone else last week." She said, fixing him with a look of mock seriousness. "Cooper Freedman, I am having you're baby." There. She'd said it. She had no idea how much clearer she could have been. Unless he wanted her to spell it out. He didn't, did he?

Any opportunity at spelling or making things clearer was lost among them as Cooper reached down and picked her up in one sweeping motion. He slid one arm under her knees, another around her back and then they were both spinning. Cooper was getting dizzy, trying not to drop Charlotte, and at the same time trying not to topple over either. The laughter that bubbled forth didn't help.

Before he knew it, the back of Cooper's knees hit his couch, and he and Charlotte fell over onto it, landing in a messy heap on the soft upholstery.

"Cooper!" Charlotte shrieked, as her world shifted and she fell over. "Careful! What are you, a child?"

Nothing she said could detract from the pure joy of that moment, and Cooper found himself falling deeper in love with her. There she was, perched haphazardly on top of him, fixing him with a glare turned goofy smile. Her clothes were wrinkled, her cheeks pink with happiness and her hair a messy blond waterfall around her. Quite a contrast to the sharp Charlotte King of Work. He'd never found her more beautiful.

Cooper grinned wolfishly and pulled her down to him, kissing her deeply. She returned his kiss tentatively at first, but then she was kissing him back with all she was worth, hands on either side of his face, bringing him closer, if it was possible. When stars appeared in her vision from the lack of oxygen, Charlotte broke their embrace and sat back on his hips, smiling.

"Feels good without alcohol or nosy coworkers, doesn't it?" Charlotte laughed at the amazed look on Cooper's face. "What?"

Cooper tore his eyes away from hers. God, those bottomless pools of grey were just mesmerizing. He shook his head slightly, still trying to recover from their kiss and realized she asked him a question, and he had no idea what it was. "What?" He repeated.

"You look like, I dunno, Halloween came early or something." Charlotte said.

Cooper grinned again, unable to keep the wide smile from his face. He pulled her closer and gave her a reverent kiss. "Charlotte. At the beginning of today, I was just me, a miserable single guy. Now I've got you, and a baby on the way. Trust me, that is a _hell_ of a lot better than a bad costume and a bucket full of candy."

Against her will, Charlotte melted against him. The things this man said sometimes… They were things that were so innocently sweet, so honest and so uninhibited by adult crap. Perks of being a pediatrician she guessed… They were things no one had ever had the courage, or maybe the desire, to say to her before. And here was Cooper… saying all those things as if they were just true, and because of that he had a duty to say them. Charlotte felt happiness flood her heart, happiness that was, for the most part, lost in the last few years. To her horror, tears pricked her eyes, and she found herself swiping at them with frustration.

Cooper caught her hand before she could wipe away the lone tear that had trickled down her face. "Why are you crying?" He asked tenderly, catching the tear with his thumb and wiping it away for her.

"It's the hormones," Charlotte sniffled, "Get used to it."

Cooper laughed and drew her closer to him. It didn't seem fair that she was sitting upright while he was trapped beneath her. Pleasant, but not fair, so he caught her waist and pulled her down that she was laying next to him, her body pressed up next to his.

The sensation of his breath on her cheek, his hands around her waist, his lips on hers, made Charlotte feel something remarkably like desire surge through her veins. She kissed him again, this time snaking a hand under the waist band of his boxers. He let out a strangled cry of pleasure and rolled them over so that he was straddling her waist. Charlotte smiled, "Seems like we never finished that thing from earlier…"

Any further words were lost as he began to unbutton her shirt and devoured her lips once again.

* * *

A little while later, Charlotte and Cooper were lying in bed happily, still basking in the afterglow. She pillowed her head on his chest, breathing in the earthy smell that would now forever be associated with Cooper in her mind. Charlotte sighed in contentment, knowing that her feelings were mirrored in Cooper's eyes. "Hey, Charlotte?" Cooper called quietly.

"Mhmm…" Charlotte closed her eyes as she responded, wishing she could come up with more eloquent words… but God, the things he'd done to her, the places they'd just been together… well, to put it lightly, it made coherent answers escape her mind.

"Can I ask you something?" Charlotte tensed. When had the words 'can I ask you something' ever been followed by something good in her life? Cooper must have sensed her sudden change in demeanor because he tightened his hold on her waist. "It's nothing, really…" He quickly added, "Just curious about something…"

Charlotte nodded. "This is you wanting to do the talkin' thing? Not you have second thoughts?" She couldn't help but ask.

Cooper frowned and ducked his head to meet her eyes. "I'm _never_ going to have second thoughts about you." He said sincerely, "So yeah, just me and my annoying talking…"

"Okay." Charlotte agreed, "Shoot."

"Shoot?" He repeated, an amused smile on his face.

She rolled his eyes, "It means ask whatever damn question you want to."

"I know, I know, just teasing." He said. Then his tone turned slightly more quiet, more serious, "Why didn't you tell me, Charlotte, that you were pregnant that day?"

Charlotte swallowed hard. There it was. The question that she'd spent the hours leading up to dinner trying to find an answer to was now out in the open. It hung in the air between them as Charlotte wondered how much herself should be on the line here and what Cooper deserved to know.

"I didn't know if you wanted this back then." Charlotte replied quietly, and honestly. "And I didn't want to risk you knowing, and not wanting it." She finished.

"But… I told you, Char… I told you that day in the bathroom that I _want_ this. All the moments and the baby's whole life…" He frowned. Had she been worried the pregnancy would be ill received? Had she thought he would walk out like a coward and leave her to raise a baby by herself?

"I knew you wanted the baby…" Charlotte trailed off, not sure of how to say the next part, and hating that she sounded like such an... unsure little child.

Cooper brought her hand up to kiss her fingertips, hoping the warmth of his lips would be all she needed to finish her sentence. "So then…" He prompted.

Charlotte blew out a breath. "… I just didn't know if you wanted me, like I want you."

Pure shock washed over Cooper in waves. So she'd known? Before their conversation in the exam room today… she'd wanted something like this? With him? Cooper continued to stare ahead, his eyes widening, before he realized that he hadn't said anything back to her.

"Oh, I want you, Charlotte King." He said seductively, the slight southern drawl he'd picked up from her in the past few hours bleeding into his voice.

"Yeah?" She replied. It wasn't a question. There was no question left anymore. She wanted him and he wanted her. It was like a bad romance novel, and yet nothing had ever felt so right.

"Oh, yeah. More than you know." Cooper raised his eyebrow lasciviously, planting a kiss on her neck.

Giggling, Charlotte pushed him off, and Cooper was temporarily too stunned to protest. Charlotte? Giggle? No way. It wasn't like her. He'd barely even seen her smile, or laugh, up until tonight, and now a girlish giggle was bubbling out of her mouth, a twinkle in her eyes to match. It was… simply breathtaking. So breathtaking, in fact, that he didn't notice that she was talking to him.

" No way, Coop. We're not doing this again." She protested. "I'm hungry."

He caught on to her last words and leaned back in. "I'm hungry too." He breathed into her ear, leaving none of his intentions to the imagination.

Charlotte laughed. "Seriously… hungry for actual food." She managed to say.

_Oh_. Cooper backed off from on top of her and propped himself up on his elbows. "Really?" He asked, fake disappointment in his voice contradicting the wide smile he still wore.

"Really." Charlotte confirmed. "We never finished dinner you know?"

"And whose fault was that?"

Charlotte made a face, wrenched the pillow from underneath her and swung it at him. It hit him on the side of his face with a soft poof. "Just get me some food, Cooper."

Cooper rolled over her and got out of bed, starting to walk off toward the kitchen. "I thought the cravings weren't supposed to start until later." He muttered happily, more to himself than anyone else.

"I heard that!"

* * *

**I had such a blast writing this, Charlotte and Cooper happy makes me giggle. Remember though, the rest of them don't know about the pregnancy yet, so plenty of drama, angst, fluff, humor, and general sweetness is to come. **

**Sooo, have ya noticed how the more reviews I get the faster I update? *hint hint* LOL, anyways, don't forget to review on your way out!  
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	6. I Wanna Know You

**Okay, okay. I know. It's been _way_ too long since I've updated this story. The thing is... real life got in the way, and by in the way I mean I GOT MARRIED! XD. Anyways, I'm very sorry for the long wait and without further ado, here's the next bit. BTW, for this story, let's say that Maya didn't get pregnant and almost die, kay?  
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**Disclaimer: Let's take a wild guess as to who owns Private Practice. Me? Shonda Rhimes? Tough one, huh?

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**Chapter 6: I Wanna Know You**

Charlotte climbed out of bed at the crack of dawn the next morning. The sudden movement made her stomach swirl and for a second she wondered if she was going to throw up right on top of Cooper's face. Luckily, she was able to stumble into the bathroom on time. Morning sickness was obviously something she was going to have to get used to, Charlotte mused miserably. Trust her to have all the symptoms of pregnancy.

Not that she had to do this alone. "Cooper!" She yelled. There was no answer and she repeated his name, her voice taking on a whiny quality that she'd never heard before. "Coop, get over here."

She heard the unmistakable groan of someone who was not a morning person, followed by shuffling footsteps. And then Cooper was standing in the doorway. "What's the matter?" He asked, rubbing his bleary eyes. "Why are you up so early?"

Charlotte groaned and put a hand over her stomach, "Your kid's makin' me feel like crap. And it can't tell the difference between 6 am and 9 am."

Cooper couldn't help but smile. _His_ kid. He was going to be a dad. Him. After years and years of treating kids and wanting kids and not having the right woman, he was going to have a child. And Charlotte… he'd known her for a couple years now and most of the time they'd been on opposite sides of the line, but she _was_ the right woman. Again, Cooper's face split into a wider grin as he studied the woman on the floor.

She must have misinterpreted the look on his face because the next moment, Charlotte had picked up the bar of soap from the side of the tub and thrown it at his head. "You think this is funny?"

Cooper dodged the soap and sat down next to her. Charlotte leaned her head against the bathroom wall as Cooper bent down and pressed his face to Charlotte's still flat abdomen. "Hey little peanut. It's too early for you to be makin' your mommy feel bad, you know that?"

"Cooper." Charlotte said sternly, swatting his at his head. "Baby's a week old, a couple of cells. I don't think that's gonna work."

Cooper rolled his eyes. "That's why I said _little_ peanut." He looked up at her from her stomach. "C'mon Charlotte… " He pleaded with a goofy grin on his face. "You're pregnant."

"Don't remind me." Charlotte groaned, running a hand through her shoulder length blond hair and suppressing a wave of nausea. "The little peanut's already got that covered."

At her uncomfortable grimace, Cooper frowned and longed to find a way to make it better. He put a hand on her forehead and smoothed her bangs out of her way. "Is this all supposed to be happening this early?" He muttered.

Charlotte glared mutinously. "Does my body look like it's been pregnant before?" She asked rhetorically.

Cooper couldn't help the laugh that came bubbling out of his mouth. "You're cranky…"He said, with a tilt of his head.

"I'm always cranky." She replied right away.

"Glowing…" Cooper added teasingly, glad that he was taking her mind off of the nausea, for the moment anyways.

She lifted her chin, wearing the look that made her seem so important it brought other doctors to their knees. "I'm always glowing." Then the color drained out of her face once more and she scrambled to lean over the toilet. "I'm also gonna be sick."

Cooper kept an arm around her shoulder and pulled her hair back. When the nausea passed, they both sat back down together. He rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'm not gonna make it Cooper." Charlotte whined. "I don't have motherin' in me."

He kissed her forehead by way of response. "Yes you will."

"What do you know?" Charlotte asked sarcastically.

He kissed her again. "How about… I go make us some breakfast… and we'll go from there."

At her tremulous nod, Cooper got up and headed into his kitchen. He didn't know what he had done in a past life to deserve this, but Charlotte King… even though their little relationship had just gotten off the ground, it was one of the best he'd ever had. Not that the internet one night stands set the bar very high, he thought ruefully. Still… the way Charlotte trusted him. The way he got to see her vulnerabilities and struggles, when nobody else had a clue made him deliriously happy. Way happier than he deserved to be.

With that in mind, Cooper set off to make the best breakfast he knew how to. His mother had taught him well and cooking was almost second nature. He didn't know what pregnant women liked to eat in the morning, nor was he sure what type of food wouldn't provoke her nausea, so he set to work cooking up everything he knew how while Charlotte took a shower.

* * *

"Breakfast is getting cold," Cooper yelled up the stairs. What the hell was taking her so long? In the time that Cooper had cooked pancakes, waffles, eggs, toast, home fries, bacon, and a ton of other dishes utilizing almost every ingredient in his kitchen, Charlotte still hadn't gotten downstairs.

He heard her faint voice from inside the bathroom yelling that she'd be there in a second, and not to rush her. _Women_, he thought with a sigh. Absentmindedly, Cooper rubbed the edge of his table cloth, a nervous habit to keep his hands occupied. There was still a lot he and Charlotte had to discuss. He didn't know whether he was allowed to tell anybody about their baby, or whether she would maybe consider moving with him. It was early. But they'd known each other for years, so it wasn't too soon, was it? Cooper didn't know.

"What are you doin' Coop?" Charlotte asked cheerfully, bouncing down the stairs with a spring in her step. Cooper stared back. You wouldn't be able to tell that just an hour ago she'd been suffering morning sickness, or that she was carrying a baby. Her clothes were perfectly arranged, every hair in place, and makeup skillfully applied.

Charlotte laughed at Cooper's amazed expression. "I don't wake up lookin' like this, you know? It takes work. Anyway, me and the baby are hungry."

At this Cooper perked up visibly. "I made breakfast." He said with a childish grin, making a grand, exaggerated sweeping gesture toward his kitchen table, practically groaning under the weight of all the food he'd cooked.

"Good grief, you plannin' on feedin' a third world country, or are we not cookin' for the rest of the week?" Charlotte asked incredulously. The food looked delicious, no doubt about that. She almost didn't know where to start.

Cooper shrugged. "I didn't know what you liked." He said simply. A small frown appeared on his features. "And I don't know you're favorite color, or your favorite animal, or -ice cream flavor, I don't even have a clue…" He trailed off.

"You're in one of those talkin' moods aren't you?" Charlotte asked needlessly.

"Get used to them." Cooper replied. "You're my girlfriend, and boyfriends are supposed to know things about their girlfriends. They are not supposed to have to guess at what breakfast food they like." He reasoned.

Charlotte smiled widely. She sure wasn't used to this, this dance of meet and greet and get to know each other thing. Most of the guy's she'd been with were interested in not much else but sex, and she'd happily complied. On top of that she figured two years working down the hall from each other told her everything she needed to know about her meddlesome colleagues. Apparently not. Because all of a sudden, Charlotte found herself wanting to know everything about the man sitting across from her. Everything and more.

"Okay." She replied brightly.

Cooper returned her dazzling smile with one of his own. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward him. She stumbled, letting out a gasp of surprise and landed perfectly in his lap. "Start talking, Charlotte King." He wrapped his arms around her. "Or I'm never letting you go."

The laughed that spilled out of her mouth was absolutely enchanting. "Okay, uh… I love horses. I had a horse actually, Marjorie. She broke her leg and I had to shoot her."

Cooper kissed her cheek. "Happy things, Char… let's stick to happy things for now."

"Okay, um…" She thought for a moment. "Mint, chocolate chip ice cream." She informed him, hey eyes fluttered closed with a blissful smile just at the thought of the treat. "And my favorite color is purple, well not really, more like mauve, or a nice purple, you know?"

"You look hot in purple." Cooper breathed into her ear. She looked beautiful in all the colors of the rainbow.

Charlotte ignored him. "Uh, let's see what else. I've got two brothers, back in Alabama, two of the biggest idiots you'll ever meet, but they're family…" She trailed off in a nostalgic voice. "And that's all you're gettin' for now." She finished triumphantly.

He tightened his hold around her. "I'm still not letting you go."

"Well, I'm hungry." She complained. "You gonna let your baby starve?"

Cooper seemed to rethink the practicality of keeping her in his arms forever, then reached over to a plate of French toast and stuffed one in her mouth. She gave a delighted laugh and he finally let her go. "I suppose we'll have to go to work soon anyways." He acknowledged with mock disappointment.

Charlotte nodded and sat down in a chair of her own. She looked gleefully at all the food he'd prepared and picked up a fork. "Breakfast first." She admonished. "Work… maybe later."

So they sat down to their first, albeit unconventional, breakfast as a couple. They delved headfirst into the delicious food Cooper had cooked, peeking over the tops of breakfast pastries to sneak glances at each other. After a while, Charlotte realized that Cooper hadn't fulfilled his side of the talking yet, and she'd quickly fixed that. He'd cheerfully shared about anything and everything from his favorite color, chartreuse, to the dog he'd had when he was a kid, who had run away from the butterfly farm, or so he was told anyways. Charlotte couldn't remember ever laughing so much and enjoying someone's company, and Cooper hadn't remembered ever being in a relationship to perfectly, _wonderfully_, normal. Violet would be proud, he realized with some amusement.

And then they'd lapsed into silence again, basking in the glow of the wonderful morning, at least until the baby realized Charlotte had eaten way too much and decided to fix that for her. They were about to get up and leave when Cooper remembered the things he'd wanted to ask her this morning, before they'd gotten distracted with getting to know each other better.

"I've been thinking, Charlotte." He began quietly.

"Did it hurt?" She pressed with a grin.

Cooper rolled his eyes. Okay, he'd let her have that one, especially since he'd practically walked right into it. "I've been thinking, who are we gonna tell about this?" He asked hesitantly.

Charlotte put down her knife and fork. Alright, so they were getting into some more serious topics now, things that actually had to be decided. She thought for a second. "Addison." She stated simply. "She'll have to know 'cause hell if I'm going to another incompetent OB when Montgomery's the best one around."

Cooper nodded. Then he reached across the table and took her hand. "What about the others?" He prompted.

Charlotte bit her lip. "It's still early, Coop. You know what the chances of miscarriage are in the first trimester? Pretty big and…"

He silenced her with a finger over her mouth. "Don't say that." He requested firmly. "Everything's going to be fine. We're not gonna lose the little peanut. I promise."

She smiled and nodded, "You can tell Violet." She said quietly. "You can tell her 'cause she's your best friend. And you need someone to gossip to. But I will not have the entire Practice coming up to me and touching my belly, as if I'm already gettin' fat, you got that?"

"You know Violet's gonna tell Pete, right?" Cooper asked wryly. "After all, they live together, they have a son, and they're in love."

Damn it. So Pete would know too. Well, that wasn't the end of the world right? They'd still maintain some semblance of privacy. Violet understood the fear of losing your baby in the first trimester, she'd been through it. She'd make sure Pete kept his mouth shut. "Okay, so Pete will know." She admitted reluctantly.

"And if you tell Addison, she'll tell Naomi." Cooper added. At her disbelieving glare, he added. "It's a best friend thing. You tell your best friend everything. I don't make the rules." He said defensively.

"Fine." Charlotte admitted. "Naomi knows too." Wow, that was nearly everyone, in fact it only left…

"Sam will know when Maya tells him because you know Naomi can't keep her mouth shut around her daughter." Cooper finished her unspoken thought with a wry smile.

Charlotte smacked his arm playfully. "Can't keep a damn secret working at Oceanside Wellness." She grumbled. "At St. Ambrose, no one would give a crap."

"You only now figuring this out?" Cooper said with a grin. "And they give a crap, because they're our family. Remember? Our family takes care of your family… promotional thing they came up with?"

"That was before my time." Charlotte said, "Thank God."

Cooper smiled. "There's one other thing."

"God, Coop. You've got more _things_ than a teenage girl." She complained good-naturedly. "What is it now?"

He paused, wondering how to breach the subject. He'd never imagined in a million years to be talking about this with her. "When Violet was pregnant, we lived together." He began. "So I guess I was thinking you could move in with me?" He asked hopefully.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I'm not huge yet, and I can still see my feet. There's no reason for me to up and mo-"

He cut her off with a quick kiss. "No, you're not hearing me Charlotte. I want you to move in with me now, and I'm gonna take care of you when you're huge and cranky, but that's not _why_ I want you to move in." His eyes implored her to just understand already and when her own grey eyes widened, he knew she did.

"Oh." She said in a small voice. "You mean…"

"Yeah."

Charlotte blew out a breath. "I sing, Coop, country music, real loud in the shower. And I'm bad but I don't care. I sing anyways. I have a lot of clothes and I'm not getting rid of _any_ of them, so you have to make room."

"O-okay." Cooper added.

"Your pillows are gonna have to go. I don't know how you sleep on the marshmallows but I can't do that every night, my neck is killing me. And your bathroom, for the love of God Cooper, that leaky pipe is gonna have to be fixed." She continued in a hurried breath.

"Right. The bathroom."

Charlotte faltered a bit, his eager attitude throwing her off. "If I move in, this place isn't gonna be a cute little bachelor pad anymore." She said, raising her eyebrows. "If you and Pete and Sam wanna have parties, fine, but please, no hookers, or strippers. And if you have any porn, get rid of it now or I will for you."

"Got it." Cooper nodded fervently.

"Still want me to move in?" She asked.

"Oh yeah."

* * *

**I've encountered a bit of writer's block with this story, so if you have any suggestions _please_ send them in a PM or leave them in a review. I'm sooo tempted to skip ahead nine months and just get to the baby cuteness already. :) **

**Anyways, did I mention that reviews speed the update process? And are love? And make my day?  
**


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